Patroon Island Bridge

The Patroon Island Bridge is a major crossing of the Hudson River in Albany, New York. The bridge carries Interstate 90, in the east-west direction, over the Hudson River between Albany and Rensselaer counties.

Patroon Island Bridge

Carries                            6 lanes Interstate 90

Crosses                           Hudson River Locale Albany, New York and Rensselaer County, New York

Design                            Deck Truss

Longest span                  375 ft (114 m)

Total length                   1,795 ft (547 m)

Width                             89 ft (27 m)

Clearance below            60 ft (18 m)

Opening date                 1968

It has been in service since 1968; however, some structural repairs were made in 1992. The bridge consists of ten spans. Seven spans are considered the main spans and consist of steel trusses and concrete decks. The other three spans are considered approach spans, which are supported by plate girders. The main span over the river-shipping channel is 375 feet (114 m) long and 89 feet (27 m) wide, and the overall bridge length is 1,795 feet (547 m). There is an estimated 60 feet (18 m) of clearance for shipping on the Hudson River below, which changes with the local tide. Today's replacement cost is estimated at $80 - 100 million. The bridge has an HS Inventory load rating of 35 tons, and is inspected annually. The average daily traffic count was 70,787 in 1998 with a 4.5% estimated traffic growth during the life of the bridge. The bridge's name comes from the former (Lower) Patroon Island that once existed adjacent to the bridge. A Patroon was a proprietor of a tract of land in the 17th century Dutch colony of New Netherland in North America.